Railway track structure



L. M. COON RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE Jan. 14, 1930.

Filed Sept. 10, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR [ozzzs/Z 6 00?; BY

ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1930. L. M. cooN RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 10. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Java's/1 ('00 BY d R 0% 4% .QN AN RN:

Patented Jan. 14, 1930 ATT 0FFE LOUIS M. COON, OF DENISON, IO'WA RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE Application filed September 10, 1928.

This invention relates to railway track constructions designed particularly to carry the heavy trafiic of the present day, and ismore particularly concerned with rail bed and rail structure designed to meet the requirements of heavy trafiic strains.

One object of the invent-ion is the provision of a rail structure affording maximum traction and so arranged as to be substantially jointless in so far as joints and wheel treads are concerned. Not only does such a construction prolong the life of car wheels, but through freedom from joint ar, its own life is increased and the travel of train equipment thereover is free from the continuous jar now commonly transmitted by the passage of the car Wheels over the joints of rail sections. The structure provided further increases the safety factor by permitting a decrease in rail height and consequently of the loosening leverage of the wheel flanges against the rail bases, without decreasing the structural strength of the rail, the rail construction providing this result being susceptible of economical manufacture without substantial increase over the production costs of those of the present day rail to offset the advantages obtained.

Accordingly, from this aspect, a feature of the invention consists of a track rail coiriposed of complemental longitudinal sections assembled and joined with staggered section joints and having alining tread faces beveled inwardly in correspondence with wheel bevel. The bevel of the tread faces provides full wheel tread contact and traction and the staggered joints of the half sections of rail provide in conjunction'a continuous uninterrupted wheel contact surface, since the solid portion of one rail half section always spans the joint between abutting complemental ends and presents a smooth wheel tread surface at this point. Because of the dual web structure, the rail is thickened and strengthened at this point permitting the rail tread to be of less height than at present, and thereby reducing the leverage of the wheel flanges against the rail base.

In conjunction with a sectional rail of this type, I have provided as an additional feature Serial No. 305,094.

of the invention, rail section jointing means providing for and permitting the natural expansion and contraction of-the rail sections due to changes in air temperature.

Proper rail supporting structure or roadbed so called, is essential whether the rail be sectional or one piece. Because of its longer life and lower upkeep, a supporting structure of metal is desirable. To be practical, such a supporting structure must be adequately braced and supported, and include compensation for expansion and contraction as well as a structure possible of manufacture within reasonable cost limits.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a rail supporting structure or road bed answering these requirements. As a further feature of the invention therefore, I have provided a rail supporting structure comprising spaced pairs of conveXed metal stringers having the characteristics of an arched truss in cross section and having their ends laterally alined and interconnected for relative expansion and contraction by underlying gauge-maintaining metal cross ties cross-connecting and bracing the stringers of each pair and interconnecting the ends of adjacent pairs. To this end, the end cross ties of adjacent pairs of stringers are pro vided with depending supporting walls converging to their lower ends and haviri their lower ends formed to nest together and capable of relative movement longitudinaily of the stringers in compensation of expanding and contracting movement thereof.

The details of these and other features of structure and combinations of parts constituting the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed specification which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railway track structure constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of a section of rail, stringer and supporting cross ties.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale through adjacent endcross ties on the line 33 of Figure 2, showing the nesting of their lower ends for stringer expansion and contraction.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse section through a stringer showing a modified form thereof providing an inclined seat for a standard rail by means of which the tread face of the rail may be inwardly inclined in conformity with the bevel of a wheel tread.

Figure 6 is a detail of one of the rail clamping lugs of the stringer.

Figure 7 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of portions of adjacent stringers and their supporting cross ties.

Figure 8 is a transverse section through a stringer and rail at a rail section joint showng an expansion joint clamp, the section being taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure9 is a transverse horizontal section on an enlarged scale through the rail web at a section joint showing said expansion joint lamp applied thereto.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the abutting ends of adjacent sections of a rail showing the expansion slots there-in.

Figure 11 is a perspective detail of one end of an intermediate cross tie showing the draining trough therein underlying the stringer base.

The track structure provides a rail composed of pairs of parallel convexed netal stringers 1 having their opposite ends laterally alined, the adjacent ends ofsuccessive stringers being slightly spaced longitudinally and interconnected through their end cross ties for relative longitudinal expanding and contracting movement as will be lat-er seen. The pairs of stringers are laterally spaced and connected at their opposite ends by underlying end cross ties 2 in the forin of angle beams having upper fiat sides 3whose opposite ends underlie the ends of and are bolted or riveted to the bases of the stringers. The lower depending sides or walls4 of the cross ties incline outwardly and have their lower edges rounded and upturned, one de pending wall 4 being longer than the other and its rounded upturned lower end providing a groove 5 in which is nested the lower edge of the depending side or wall of the adjacent end cross tie which is roundedon a curve to conform to that of the groove 5 p'ermittting relative movement of the angled end cross ties with their attached stringers in a direction longitudinally of the stringers in compensationfor the expansion and contraction "sf the metal thereoef. Each pair of stringers will therefore be provided at its ends with angled cross ties 2 having depending side walls 4 of different lengths curved and upturned at their lower edges substantially as shown in Figure 3 so that the pairs of cross ties may be assembled with the long and shorter depending side walls 4 of the end cross ties of abutting stringer sections interjoined and nested as shown in Figure 3. In order to maintain the ties and their stringers in longitudinal alinement, those end cross ties having the longer depending walls 4 are formed with these walls slightly longer, the ends being formed with end webs 51closing the opposite ends of their grooves 5 and confining the ends of the internested shorter walls 4 therebetw'een against transverse displacement.

Between the ends, the pairs of stringers are maintained in parallel relation and interconnected by one .or more intermediate cross ties 6 of substantially T-shape in cross section providing an upper fiat supporting plate 7 underlying and supporting the bases of the the cross ties will be imbedded in the road bed so that the base of the stringers will'be substantially flush therewith.

The metal stringers 1 are convexed and are formed upon their upper external surfaces cent-rally thereof with a flat longitudinally ex.- tending rail seat '10. Their edges are formed with flat terminal flanges 11 which'are bolted or riveted to the underlying supporting surfaces of the cross ties. Beneath the rail seat, the'stringers are provided with a depending central web 12, the lower end of which terminatesin a plane coincident with the lower faces of the flanges 11. A threepoint support for the stringers on the underlying plates or walls of the cross ties and upon the sand,gravel or other road bed material between the-cross ties is thereby provided. It will be evident therefore that the stringers being in conjunction with the underlyingsupporting faces of the cross ties of the road bed approximate an arched truss in cross section and provide a strong rigid base well adapted to sustain the weight and carry the shocks of heavy modern rail traffic. The stringers at the outer edges of the rail seat 10 are provided at intervals with opposed pairs of rigid and preferably integral lugs. 13 between which the edges of the rail flanges are held, these lugs being spaced by hold-down clamps 14 (Figure 6) having bases 15 bolted or otherwise suitably held firmly to the adjacent face of the stringers and having an angle arm 16 engaging the edge of the rail base flange and overlying the upper face of said flange as seen in Figure 6.

The metal rail bed thus constructed provides a strong rigid supporting base arranged in interj oined sections with provision permitting relative longitudinal movement of the sections in compensation for expansion and contraction of the metal through heat and cold. This metal structure, if properly coated with preservative, such as asphaltum, prior to installation in the road bed will have extremely long life, disintegrating very slowly. Its sectional nature facilitates assembly and replacement. It is further strengthened and connected by a rail structure of particularly advantageous form which I will now describe.

1 This rail is formed in complemental longitudinal sections 17 and 18 (Figure 8) having flat alined wheel tread faces 20 inclining downwardly from the outer edge of the rail to provide a bevel corresponding to the bevel of the car wheel tread face for full contact thereof with the tread face of the rail. The

.. web portions 19 of these complemental rail sections adjacent to the bases 21 thereof have their abutting faces provided with longitudinal angular notches 22 and interfitting similarly shaped projections or flanges 23 by means of which their rail tread faces 20 are maintained in alinement and a smooth wheel tread face presented. The longitudinal half sections of the rail are assembled with their abutting ends staggered as shown in Figure 7, these abutting ends being slightly spaced as shown in Figures 7 and 10 to permit of rail expansion and contraction through changes of temperature. By the staggered relation of the rail section joints, the abutting ends of one half section are spanned by the solid in termediate portion of the complemental half section so that, with the car wheel tread having full contact with the entire tie tread surface 20 of the rail, it will ride over the solid portion of the rail without the impact or jar commonly received by the passage of a car wheel over the joints between rail sections, the described construction, therefore, presenting a continuous wheel tread engaging surface without joints to inflict such impact and jar.

The inclined or bevelled tread face of the sectional rail providing for full contact of the tread face of the car wheel therewith in I combination with the staggered arrangement ures 810, it will be seen that the abutting ends of rail half sections 18 are slightly spaced and are provided adjacent to their ends and elsewhere with elongated slots 24 through their webs 19. These abutting ends and the adjacent compleniental half section of the rail are joined by a U-bolt 25. The inner face of its longitudinal bar 26 is engaged with the outer face of the web of rail section 17 (Figure 7), and its laterally extending tapering arms 27 extend through coincident bores in the solid unbroken web of the rail section 17, through the elongated slots 24;, and through appropriately spaced bores in a clamping plate 28 overlapping the webs 19 of the adjacent abutting sections 18 and clamped thereto by nuts 29 or other threaded fastenings engaging the threaded projecting ends of the U-bolt 25. The two half sections of the rail are thereby firmly held together while the elongated slots 24 provide an expansion joint permitting the slight relative longitudinal movement of the rail sections due to expansion and contraction. As seen from Figure 8, this clamping means lies within the vertical plane of the sides of the wheel tread face and therefore offers no interference to the car Wheel flanges passing thereover. V

The stringers previously described may, as shown in Figure 5, be somewhat modified to carry solid rails having the usual substantially fiat wheel tread surface so as to support said surface at an incline permitting full contact of the car wheel tread therewith. Accordingly, to effect this result, provide the upper face of the stringer 1 in Flgure 5, with an inwardly inclined flat rail seat 10* upon which the base 21 of a standard solid rail may be supported by clamping means such as described with my sectional track rail. This arrangement while providing full surface contact and traction does not however present a continuous wheel tread surface on the rail since with this solid form of rail, the rail joints now commonly encountered will of course be present. It will, of course, be understood that in the practical laylng of the track structure, the cross ties will be firmly imbedded in the material of the road bed and that this material will extend up beneath and be compacted under the convexed stringers between the cross ties so that those portions of the stringers extending between cross ties will receive support from the rail bed therebeneath. Material other than that of the road bed may be used to furnish this intervening supporting base.

While I have herein shown and described specific structural embodiments of my invention, these are intended primarily as illustrativerather than restrictive thereof and structural changes adapting the invention to varying conditions of manufacture and use are contemplated in consonance with the Ill) " underlymg'spacmg and supportmgcross ties spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

VVhat I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by. Letters Patent is:

1. A railway track structure having a rail oed comprising longitudinally spaced pairs of convexed metal stringers having flat rail seats formed on their upper faces and as. sembled in laterally spaced longitudinally iiined pairs, each pair of stringers having at their ends interjoined with the cross ties at the abutting ends of the adjacent pairs of.

longitudinally spaced stringers for slight relative longitudinal movement with their attached stringers in compensation for expansion and contraction of their metal.

2. A railway track structure having a rail bed composed of longitudinally spaced pairs if convexed metal stringers having arched truss conformation in cross section and arranged with the ends of each pair laterally alined, end cross ties for each pair having flat upper supporting surfaces underlying 1nd supporting the stringers and depending walls, with the walls of adjacent crossties of abutting pairs of stringers. converging and nestingly interlocked at their lower edges for relative longitudinal movement of said ties with their stringers in-compensation for expansion and contraction of their metal.

3..;A railway track'structure having a rail bed comprisinginterconnected pairs of metal stringers having laterally alined ends, and ,n'etal crossties connected to and underlying said pairs of stringers at their ends, said ties having flat upper portions underlying and supporting the ends of the pairs of stringers and having outwardly inclined depending supporting walls, the lower edges of said walls being formed to interjoin for interconnection of the abutting ends of adjacent pairs of stringers and said interjoined'walls defining a V-shaped drain trough underlying the stringers.

4. A railway track structure having a rail bed composed of longitudinally spaced pairs of:metal stringers arranged with the ends of each pair laterally alined, cross ties under- 5. A railway track structure comprising 7 longitudinally spaced pairs of convex metal stringers arranged with laterally alined ends,

" saidstrin'gers having flat rail seats formed longitudinally and substantially centrally on their upper faces and being provided with depending webs vertically alined with said rail seats and providing with the outer edges of the stringers, a three point support therefor, and metal cross ties underlying and interconnecting the stringers of each pair, including end cross ties formed to inter-seat and to interconnect the abutting ends of longitudinally spaced pairs of stringers for relative longitudinal expansion and contraction.

6. A railway track structure composed of pairs of convexed metal stringers having arched truss conformation in cross section and .1

flat longitudinally extending rail seats on their upper faces, cross ties vunderlyingfl and interconnecting the stringers of each pair, pairs of rail flange engaging lugs formed onsaid stringers at the edgesof said rail seats, rails mounted on said seats-with the edges. of their base flanges engaging said lugs, and hold down clamps overlyingthe base flanges ,of the rails and clamped to said stringers.

LOUIS M. coon; 

